Platanos Y Collard Greens

For more information, visit www.platanosandcollardgreens.com
ollard Greens
About Platanos Y C
8 p.m. September 30
Strong Auditorium, River Campus
Free and open to the public
Platanos Y Collard Greens is a hilarious romantic tale that asks whether love between Blacks and
Latinos can survive. It is the story of two college students—strangers from different cultures—who
fall in love at first sight . . . until her Mom finds out and has a heart attack! The lovers are forced to
confront and overcome prejudices while defending their bond from family and friends. Platanos will
remind you of your family, your loves, your life. It is guaranteed to make you laugh, inspire you, and
make you think.
From Joe Cuba to Fat Joe, from Felipe Luciano and the Young Lords to Afrika Bambaataa, from Latin
Boogalo to Hip Hop, from Barack Obama to Sonia Sotomayor, this play has something for everyone.
History of the Show
Written by David Lamb, directed by Summer Hill Seven, and currently staged by Doni Comas, Platanos Y Collard Greens
debuted to sold-out audiences in 2003 at a small theater on Manhattan’s west side. That fall, Platanos also began its
collegiate tour, opening to a standing-room-only crowd at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, one of the
countries largest universities.
Now in its eighth season, Platanos Y Collard Greens continues to have audiences falling out of their seats laughing and
standing up and cheering. This hugely successful show has enchanted audiences of more that 200,000 both off Broadway
and in other cities, including the Adrienne Arscht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami and the Forum in St. Thomas,
Virgin Islands, and on tour at more than 250 colleges in more than 30 states.
Who We Are
Playwright David Lamb was born in Queens and raised in public housing. He attended Hunter College, the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and NYU School of Law. While working on Wall Street, his passion for the struggles and stories of his Queens neighborhood continued to speak to him, urging him to capture the social and political issues facing Blacks and Latinos in New York. Being an entrepreneur, he
founded a publishing company and in 1995 released the novel Do Platanos Go Wit’ Collard Greens? (www.platanosandcollardgreens.com/merchandise).
David toured colleges speaking about the book and in response to that audience in 2003, wrote the stage play Platanos Y Collard Greens. “I want to see
this play performed in high schools and even younger than that. We have to reach our children earlier and have these conversations sooner. It’s important.”
Producer Jamillah Lamb, along with husband David, founded the production company that has guided the continuing success of Platanos and their newest play, Auction Block to Hip-Hop. After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wesleyan University, she attended Harvard University, where she
gained a master’s degree in public policy. Jamillah used her commitment to community growth to become a successful community development banker
and a vice president at Citibank. She utilizes this background in the daily operations of Between The Lines Productions, Inc. Jamillah offers this: “I could feel
David’s passion for the art and the creative work, and I really wanted to be able to explore as many outlets and opportunities as possible. That’s why this
work has continued to grow. It is rooted and revved on by pure passion.”
Sponsored by Spanish and Latino Students Association (SALSA),
David T. Kearns Center, the Latino Professional Alliance at the University of Rochester,
Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA), College Diversity Round Table (CDR),
the College Dean’s office, and Office of Alumni Relations